


peeper puppy paradise

by noribora



Category: Half-Life, half life but the ai is self aware
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:48:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24743353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noribora/pseuds/noribora
Summary: Benrey finds a weird fuckin dog and brings it home, much to Gordon's displeasure.
Relationships: Benrey/Gordon Freeman
Comments: 8
Kudos: 96





	1. greetings

It’d only been a week or two, since the crew had finally escaped Black Mesa, and attended the strangest birthday party, at the end of the world. At that fucked up restaurant/family entertainment facility. Or, maybe three.

Gordon had no fucking clue. Time didn’t feel real, and he had no reason to have a schedule. His sister had agreed to watch Joshua while he recovered from the weight of it all; though he wasn’t entirely sure how long that would be. Especially once  _ Benrey, of all fucking people, _ showed up at his doorstep only days after.

All he wanted to do was sleep, and yet Gordon found himself lying awake. He had no fucking clue if the wheeking and whining he could faintly hear was just his tired mind playin tricks, or if one of those fucking monsters from Black Mesa had escaped somehow. He groaned, pairing it with his hand run down his face, before he reached for his phone on his nightstand.

2:27 AM.  _ Fuck _ , it was late. 

With another groan, Gordon kicked himself up into a sitting position, pinching the bridge of his nose as he considered his next move. Should he text his sister, despite it being so late? Order some fucking late night Taco Bell and zone out listening to Benrey’s stupid video games that they played into ungodly hours? He had no clue. All he knew was that, between all the low sounds of Benrey’s usual video games that echoed through the hall into his room, he continued to hear the soft wheeking. The noise that sounded so familiar, somehow. As soon as the door was cracked open, he froze.

A face full of eyes, all fixed on him. Staring at him. It was one of those fucking creatures from that cursed place. A “peeper puppy”, or whatever the fuck they’d called them. It just stood in the doorway, staring at him almost curiously. The creature tilted its head, a soft glow of teal blue emanating from the stripes on their back. Strangely, the one looking over him seemed… smaller, than the ones he remembered. Calmer, too.

After a second of what felt like an eternity, Gordon fell backwards, letting out a scream before his ass met the floor. The little creature seemed to let out a small yelp, turning on its three legs and running down the hall. Gordon stared, wide-eyed, at the events playing out in front of him. It had just run away, instead of doing the odd sonic blast attack he’d seen before. 

_ Why hadn’t it attacked him?  _ Actually, nevermind that. What the FUCK was it doing in his apartment?

His own thoughts were cut off by the sound of Benrey’s voice down the hall, after seemingly pausing their video game. A soft whine from the little houndeye, followed by Benrey’s low apathetic tone.

“Heeeey, A&W, What’s, uh...”

They paused, seeming to smack their lips thoughtfully, before continuing their thought.

“What’s up, lil dude?”

Another soft whine and wheek in response. 

As Gordon approached the living room, he was met with a sight he could swear he’d had a nightmare about before. There was Benrey, all sprawled out on his couch, their long black hair seeming to cover and consume all that it fell upon. The little houndeye seemed to be perched on their chest, laying there with its gaze focused on them. Softly glowing yellow eyes fixed on the creature, while their hand absentmindedly stroked over its back.

“... No. No FUCKING way-”

Gordon almost choked out, causing Benrey’s glowing gaze to perk up to look towards him. For only a moment, a look of surprise flashed in their eyes, before returning to their calm nature.

“Oh. Hey, Feetman, didn’t uh… didn’t know you were awake. Found a little guy behind Arby’s. Followed me home.”

With every word that Benrey spoke, Gordon felt fiery anger build up within him. His body grew hot, and his brows furrowed. Every fucking day, Benrey had to make it their personal mission to just piss him off, it seemed! Taking a long, deep breath, Gordon gritted his teeth, trying to remember what his therapist had told him. He was so fucking tired.

While he counted down silently in his mind, Benrey continued to pet the houndeye on their chest, which had curled up on them, resting comfortably.

“Really? Fucking really? You brought that fucking…  _ thing _ in here? The place where my fucking son lives?!”

“Awww, c’mon Gordo, Joshie wants a d-”

“NO!”

Gordon shouted, his hand balling into a fist at his side. His one fucking remaining hand. His eyes bored into the two, and for a moment, Benrey fell silent. Their grip seemed to tighten on the little creature, as they met Gordon’s furious gaze.

“Can you fuckin chill for a minute? A&W is like… trying to sleep. He’s chillin.”

And, it was true. The little runty thing seemed to have fallen asleep on Benrey, despite Gordon’s outburst. As much as he hated to admit it, it was just a little cute. 

Taking another deep breath, Gordon closed his eyes, taking slow steps towards the couch. His grip relaxed, as he took in the sight closer. The houndeye hadn’t attacked him, or destroyed his apartment. Or really, even made much noise. It was already a better roommate than Benrey.

“You found an alien behind Arby’s and named it fucking A&W?”

He would laugh, if he wasn’t so dead tired. He took a seat by Benrey’s feet, which were quickly swung around to be placed on his lap. He didn’t care enough to shake them off, either.

“Yeah. Pretty epic, right? Lil dude followed me here. Fed ‘im your old shitty leftovers.”

At their words, Gordon let out what could almost be considered a laugh. His eyes fell closed, as he leaned his back against the couch. Before he had the opportunity to talk, Benrey’s voice was quietly filling the room again. Balls of light filled the air, as their voice sang softly, seeming to ease Gordon’s entire body.

“We’re… we’re talking about this...”

Interrupting himself with a yawn, Gordon’s body slumped over on the couch, his head finding its way to rest against Benrey’s soft thigh. Seemingly, he hadn’t even realized he’d fallen asleep. Now, Benrey was trapped there, unmoving as their cheeks flushed a deep blue. Waves of pink and blue light shot from their mouth, for only a moment, before their voice quieted again.   
  


And there Benrey laid, an alien dog on their chest, and their crush peacefully snoozing on their legs. Their illuminated eyes fixated on the ceiling, as the soft balls of light slowly dissipated from the air. The room grew dark, save for the light from the tv, and their eyes. 

And for once, Benrey felt at peace.

“Mmh… yuh, whatever, Feetman.”


	2. a million dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gordos has a not good time in snoozeville and benrey is gay. that's it that's the story.

Gordon wasn’t sure when, or even how, he’d fallen asleep. All he knew was that, for once, his dreams weren’t about fucking death and gore. He didn’t see the bodies of all the people they’d killed, for just the sake of escaping. People with families, and human lives. 

He didn’t see Black Mesa, for fucking once.

Instead, he sat in a big empty clearing, in the middle of nowhere it seemed. Surrounded by trees thousands of feet high, with clouds masking the harsh rays of the sun. A soft breeze blew through his long hair, seeming to relax him further. But, it seemed too perfect. Too relaxing.

“Hey.”

A familiar voice rang out, causing Gordon to open his eyes. Amidst the calm surroundings, there stood… Benrey, standing over him. Their thick black hair brushed against Gordon’s face and shoulders, and their eyes held a relaxed expression. A soft smirk played on their lips, showing off their gleaming teeth. After a moment of just staring down at him, Benrey moved forward, taking a seat next to him.

“Where the fuck are we?”

Gordon finally spoke up, staring at his guest with a look of confusion. This seemed to make Benrey’s eyes widen, for just a moment, before they looked away. In that brief second, they looked… sad. Hurt, even. Their normally apathetic eyes held a glint of genuine sadness behind them, for only a second or two.

“You, uh. You really don’t remember? Deadass?”

Their tone remained flat, at least. They seemed to stare off into the distance, far beyond the trees. Beyond anything Gordon could possibly see.

“No, Benrey, I don’t remember. I have no clue where the fuck we are.”

Gordon sighed, letting his eyes fall closed again. His body slowly laid back, the blades of grass below him gently swaying in the breeze and tickling his skin ever so slightly. As he thought about it more, it  _ did _ feel strangely familiar…

As he opened his mouth to speak again, the scenery around him began to blur and fade out. His eyes traveled to Benrey’s form, who continued to stare off in one direction, unmoving. As everything seemed to melt away, Gordon looked towards the edge of the clearing, squinting his eyes when he saw two vague shapes in the distance. 

“Hello?!”

Gordon called out, as his surroundings continued to fade. He reached out his hand, towards the two.

And then, nothing. Black. Everything around him had disappeared, including Benrey. Now, he just felt trapped, in this empty space. He wanted to scream, but his voice fell silent. No matter how hard he tried, no sound left him.

And then, his eyes snapped open.

Gordon shot up, his eyes rapidly looking around his living room. Neither Benrey nor “A&W” were on the couch with him anymore. Instead, the apartment was… oddly quiet. Gordon’s brows tilted, as his eyes travelled around the room.

He spotted a familiar shape in the kitchen. Oddly enough, that was comforting in a way.

Reaching for his glasses, Gordon’s eyes adjusted to the bright morning sun, while he stretched his body with a few satisfying pops. Benrey stood in the kitchen with their back to him, their long ears perking slightly when they heard Gordon stir from his deep slumber.

“Morning, Feetman. Your sister called, told her you were out like a lil baby ass bitch. Heh.”

With a deep breath, Gordon picked up his cell phone, seeing a mass of texts from his sister. How late had he slept? Noting that it was almost 11, Gordon quietly cursed under his breath, making his way to the kitchen while he read through the messages. Pictures of his son, and little updates on how he was doing. The sight was enough to bring a wave of gentle comfort washing through his tired body.

While Gordon caught up with the world, Benrey continued their task in the kitchen. And on a blanket dragged to the kitchen next to them, A&W laid contently beside them, remaining quiet apart from an occasional curious wheek.

“Huh, wha? You hungry, lil dude?”

Their question caused the creature to perk up its head, shaking out its body as it stood up on its three legs. With a small hop, it let out a noise of excitement, making Benrey smile softly at the sight. It really was just like a fucked up little alien dog, they thought.

“Okay, yeah, sure. Gimme a second...”

With a soft, thoughtful ‘bbbbbbb’ under their breath, Benrey began to mix batter in a bowl, with a pan heating on the stove. As they cracked the eggs, they felt a small hoof against their leg, causing them to look back down.

“What’s up, A&W? You uh, you wanna fuckin cuddle or somethin'? Huh?”

Again, the small creature made an excited noise in response. Benrey’s lips curled into a soft smile, as they set the bowl of pancake batter down, lifting up the houndeye into their arms and holding it to their chest. The soft sound emanating from it almost mimicked a purr, as it draped over his shoulder.

“Heh...”

Benrey shifted the little thing into one arm, using their free one to pour batter into the heated pan while the little creature rested on them. The sight made Gordon smile, even if only a little. They still were both fucked up aliens, after all.

“Wait, you’re cooking? Since when do you cook? Also, stay the fuck out of my dreams, Benrey.”

When Gordon piped up, Benrey turned their head to look toward him, their long hair swishing behind them almost inhumanly. Their yellow eyes seemed to stare right through him, confused.

“What, like it’s hard? Also, can’t help you dream about me, gay ass. Did we kiss or somethin’~?”

“Wha-  _ NO _ , we didn’t fucking kiss.”

Gordon groaned, leaning against the kitchen island to rub his temple. As usual, Benrey knew just how to push his buttons, especially first thing in the morning. With a shrug, Benrey turned their attention back to the pan, flipping the golden pancakes to cook the other side.

“Benrey, I’m serious. You were there, and you were all fucking… sad. Because I didn’t remember something. What was that?”

And for just a moment, Benrey froze. They stood, unmoving from their position, for what felt like hours, before they shrugged slightly. Their gaze remained fixed on the pan, seemingly unwilling to meet Gordon’s eyes.

“Dunno. Sounds kinda, uh. Fucked if you ask me.”

Realizing that their conversation would go nowhere beyond that, Gordon sighed, taking a seat on a stool in front of the island. Within seconds, it seemed, there was a plate of hot pancakes placed in front of him. As he poured out syrup from a bottle placed next to the plate, Gordon looked toward Benrey, who had returned to the stove, with their back to him. 

He couldn’t see the quiet pain behind their inhuman eyes, or the way they clenched their teeth, as to not lose control of their own voice. Despite their effort, a faint pinkish-yellow mist began to leak from the corner of their mouth. Only when A&W’s small foot brushed against them with a soft whine, did they snap out of their own trance.

“Yeah, I’m makin’ yours, hold on...”   
  
Holding the creature a bit tighter, they poured small circles of batter into the pan, staring down into it as it bubbled and cooked. They knew that if they looked at Gordon or met his gaze, it would be over. They would break, and tell him everything. It wouldn’t make sense.

At least, not yet.

While Gordon ate, Benrey stood by the pan, eventually setting A&W down to assemble its plate. Despite a small whine, its protest was soon silenced by a plate set in front of it. Two hot pancakes, with eggshells and all. The houndeye was quick to begin happily crunching on the eggshells, while Gordon watched in almost horror. At least Benrey had been gracious enough to spare him the eggshells, he thought. And, the little guy seemed to be enjoying them. Had Benrey studied this thing longer than they let on? Had they spent time around them in Black Mesa, while they were off doing who the fuck knows?

He had no clue.

As Gordon returned to reality, he noticed that Benrey’s back was still facing him… almost like they were avoiding him in a way. Staring down at his empty plate, he silently considered everything that had already happened today. His odd dream, and waking up to Benrey doing something that could almost be considered nice. And now, they wouldn’t even look at him. It felt… almost odd, without Benrey’s near-constant harassment.

After a moment, Gordon finally lifted his head, his gaze now fixed on flowing black hair.

“... Thanks.”

Though his voice was soft, it was firm. He meant it, without question. Benrey’s eyes widened for a second, and a deep blue flushed across their gray cheeks. In all the time they’d known each other, Gordon had never been very… open with them. They understood, sorta, since they did try to kill him and all. 

But now, even with his one singular word, Benrey felt their heart race. The feeling that they felt when Gordon extended his arms to them for the first time. That feeling of infatuation, that made their entire body feel hot. 

He had no right, making them feel so conflicted. They  _ hated _ it. 

“... Yuh. Whatever, shut up.”

Though they still couldn’t look at him, it was for an entirely new reason. Gordon couldn’t help but chuckle under his breath, as he picked up the plate to carry it to the kitchen sink.

  
_ There _ was the Benrey he knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this fic is centered around the peeper puppies but i took a different direction with this chapter, i'll get back to more peeper pups next time!!!

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a little joke in a server with my friends. We had a gmod game where we built an enclosure full of houndeye npcs and called it the peeper puppy rescue. Thank you in advance if you enjoy my silly little work!! Love u!!!


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